


The Second To Last Straw

by Nadat



Category: Dragon Age
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-12
Updated: 2012-05-12
Packaged: 2017-11-05 04:53:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/402634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadat/pseuds/Nadat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A last-minute conversation between the Knight-Commander and the First Enchanter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Second To Last Straw

She stared at her hands, as she often did of late. It was better than staring at the reports. There were another three on the desk, details of mages giving in to demons and becoming abominations, and how the great Champion of Kirkwall had gotten there in time to save the day, but just barely. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so stressful if the same reports didn’t also mention the ever-present apostate healing and helping. 

Sometimes the reports spoke of the Dalish girl, whom Templar agents named Merrill, but as far as Meredith knew the Dalish mage hadn’t been flouting the Circle for two decades now. One day Merrill would be in a Circle as was proper, but Meredith was far more concerned by Anders. The people of Darktown loved him. It was understandable. They were sick and destitute and he tended to them. Who wouldn’t love that? But there was also fear, and that, at least, was a relief. The population needed a healthy dose of fear when it came to mages. Especially one she suspected had more than a little to do with the death of several templars, including Ser Alrik. Oh, she’d never have proof. He was too good for that. But she suspected.

Meredith shook her head. It wasn’t healthy to dwell on apostates she couldn’t bring in. The Champion liked his mages, for some reason beyond Meredith’s understanding, and the city’s balance was far too precarious for her to risk angering him. 

Getting up, Meredith picked up one of the reports and read it over as she paced. Lowtown, this time, a female mage transformed when Templars went to corner her. One of Meredith’s men was dead, two others still being healed. How had someone so weak that she’d given in to temptation at the first challenge made it through the Harrowing? Were they not doing it right? She needed to question Orsino on this.

As if thinking his name was a summons, there was a knock on the door before Orsino stepped in. “We need to talk.”

There was annoyance in the back of her mind at how casually he walked in, but she pushed it down. “What is it this time, First Enchanter? Have another few suspected blood mages slipped away just before they could be questioned? Has another abomination transformed in the mage dormitories?”

Orsino sighed. “That was once and twice respectively, and there were reasons, as has been explained to you.”

“Then what is it now, if not either of those things?” She set the report down and faced him directly. “The frequency of possession is rising. I hope you aren’t taking up my time with something trivial.”

“Knight-Commander!” Orsino rarely raised his voice to her when they were in their offices. This was an interesting exception.

She raised an eyebrow and waited.

Orsino sighed. “My people are being treated like common criminals. I ask that the locking up at night ends. They’re still people, Knight-Commander, and this treatment is excessive.”

Before answering, Meredith gathered up the three reports from today off her desk, as well as the stack from the past two weeks. “Abomination in Hightown. Five dead. Blood mages in Darktown. Seven missing attributed to them. Abomination in the Elven Alienage. One dead. Blood mages on the Wounded coast. An entire traveling party dead, including children. Abomination--”

“I know! I have the same reports on my desk. I’ve read through them all. But if you treat people like they’re already gone, they’re going to give in! It is the treatment that my mages are receiving that is leading to this!”

“You blame the Templars?” Meredith shook her head. “You blame the people who stand between yours and the public, who protect at the risk of their own lives? This is getting out of hand, First Enchanter! Your mages are weak. Until they become strong, I will guard the city. I will protect it. This is why I am Knight-Commander.”

Orsino looked angry, and Meredith waited for a reply. Finally he left, and Meredith placed the reports back on her desk and rubbed her temples. Much to her surprise, Orsino returned a few moments later. In his hands he held several eggs in straw bedding. He set them on the ground. 

“Mages,” he said. He took one of her books. “The Fade and the temptations it presents.” The book was set on the eggs gently, and they supported the weight. “Being taken from our families.” He set another book on top. “Not having the chance to bond with others, or to even walk around outside of the Circle.” A third book joined the stack, and Meredith found herself watching silently.

He went to her shelf and selected a few more books, coming back to the eggs. “Constant suspicion, mistrust, and harassment.” The fourth book went on. “More friends than ever before being made Tranquil for the smallest of offenses.” The fifth went on. He paused, looking at the eggs, and held up the last book in his hands. “Being locked in cells at night for crimes we have not committed.” Orsino released the book, dropping it onto the pile. The eggs shattered.

For a moment both were quiet. Then Orsino spoke again. “Knight-Commander, I ask that a little bit of the pressure be relieved before it becomes too much.”

Meredith contemplated the eggs. They’d broken from the burden, as he’d intended. It had been a good presentation; there was a reason, after all, that he was First Enchanter. Then she shook her head. “Better and safer for them to break here, where there are walls to hold them and Templars to silence them, then for them to snap later on. Kirkwall is on the breaking point already, First Enchanter. I will not risk the city to let up some of the weight on your mages. I cannot afford to if I am to stay diligent. The city must be kept safe.”

Orsino was furious. It was easy to tell, with him. His face went more pale, the veins in his neck stood out, and the muscles in his arms and back tensed. Instead of arguing further, though, he stomped out of her office and into his. She could hear him muttering once his door was closed, and all too soon he was calling for a messenger, pressing a letter into their hand to a recipient whose name she didn’t quite catch. Orsino shot her a bitter glance over the messenger’s shoulder before stalking down the hall, toward the main area of the Gallows. 

Meredith rubbed her temples again. She would follow in a few moments. She would have to. Of late the First Enchanter had taken to yelling in the streets, unprofessionally, and the citizens of Hightown were generally upset about this. No one wanted a mage yelling in the neighborhood. Except maybe the Maker-cursed Champion. She stood straighter, spine stiffening, as it sank in that Orsino could have written to Hawke. Resisting the strong temptation to swear Meredith strapped on her new sword and headed after Orsino, calling orders to other Templars as she passed. This really needed to come to an end.


End file.
